Michigan sophomore quarterback Shane Morris started only the bowl game against Kansas State last year, but the Wolverines consider him a legitimate threat to unseat incumbent Devin Gardner.AP File Photo

ANN ARBOR -- Shane Morris has a big smile, and he flashed every inch of it when he was asked whether he could actually overtake Devin Gardner in a Michigan quarterback race that some believe is a competition in name only.

"Uh, yeah," he said after Tuesday's practice, pausing for effect. "That's what open competition is."

Gardner, a fifth-year senior, is back after starting 12 games last season. He's started at quarterback in 16 of the past 18 games overall, and at times has flashed a dual-threat skill-set that few collegians can match.

But Michigan finished just 7-6 last year and ranked 87th in total offense. Coach Brady Hoke has been adamant that every job is open for competition as the Wolverines look to rebound from back-to-back disappointing seasons.

And that includes quarterback, despite Gardner's veteran status.

All comers are welcome, headlined by the sophomore Morris.

"Everyday we compete to be the No. 1 quarterback," Morris said, again flashing that smile, as though he knows something you don't. "That's why I'm here."

But freshman Wilton Speight is in the fold too, and Gardner believes he's a legitimate challenger.

“Wilton’s got game. He can play," Gardner said. "He makes good decisions and he’s a good quarterback. He’s definitely a threat for Shane and I.”

So is Russell Bellomy, if you believe the coachspeak, and the walk-ons are entrants in this competition as well -- a competition that is more of a derby than a duel, given the crowded field.

That's the math, but probably not the reality. Gardner, Morris, Speight and Bellomy are splitting the first-team reps evenly during spring ball right now, which indicates those are the quarterbacks being considered for playing time next year.

But Gardner has to be considered the favorite for the gig, and if there is a legitimate contender, it would be Morris.

Gardner says he's still not completely healed from the broken toe that kept him out of the bowl game, though he intends to be 100 percent at the start of the 2014 season.

"The doctor said I probably wouldn't be 100 percent, and I wouldn't be able to participate much in spring ball. But here I am, competing and running well and doing what I can," Gardner said. "By the season, I think I should be 100 percent."

Gardner completed 208-of-345 passes for 2,960 yards, 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. He had moments of brilliance -- Notre Dame and Ohio State come to mind -- but struggled to consistently harness his great skill-set.

Of course, it's also difficult to play the quarterback position consistently when your offense line sinks to the kind of depths that Michigan found last season.

The Wolverines are exploring all options, and that includes Morris, the once-highly touted recruit who played in four games as a freshman last season and started the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl against Kansas State.

Michigan lost the game 31-14, but Morris was a pleasant surprise. He completed 24-of-38 passes for 196 yards, one interception and a QB rating of 101.2.

"Anytime you can get game experience, it's huge. For me to be able to play in a bowl game, it was even bigger," Morris said. "Obviously the outcome wasn't what we wanted, and I need to make improvements. I could have played 10 times better than I did."

Morris cited his grasp of the playbook and his leadership skills as his points of focus this spring.

Speight is a true freshman who has early enrolled and is going through his first formal collegiate practices. He said the learning curve hasn't been as steep as expected, which he partly credits to his comfort with new offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier.

Speight committed to play for Al Borges at Michigan, but also was recruited by Nussmeier at Alabama. He took a couple visits there and knew what to expect when the Wolverines hired Nussmeier this offseason.

"There were a lot of times I flew under the radar in the recruiting process, but I know what I can do on the field and know I can compete with the three other guys in the QB room," Speight said, brimming with a quiet confidence and polish that is rare among true freshmen. "I'm trying to be better than Devin, and Devin is trying to be better than me. And the same with Shane and Russell.

"But I'm learning a lot from Devin. He's the old man on campus."

What has been Speight's biggest adjustment?

"The intensity of being perfect," he said. "In high school, you make a mistake here or there -- whether it was a receiver or a lineman or me or whatever -- it was just like, on to the next play.

"But here, everyone is trying to be a starter here and then go play in the NFL and make money doing this. So if you're not perfect doing this, it's next guy up. You've got to be aware and have your intensity up at all times."

Bellomy rounds out the quartet of quarterback hopefuls. He once was the backup to Denard Robinson, but his career has been derailed since an ill-fated appearance against Nebraska in 2012.

With Robinson knocked out by a nerve injury, Bellomy completed just 3-of-16 passes and had three interceptions against the Cornhuskers. He has yet to take another collegiate snap, after missing the rest of 2012 due to an unknown condition and then all of 2013 with a torn ACL.

Bellomy said he was able to readjust to the speed of the game when he rejoined the team during bowl preparations last year, but still hasn't returned to his pre-injury form. That is the next step for him.

"I have to get back to where I was before I was injured -- just the style of play I was doing," he said. "Once I get going on a roll is when I play my best. I'm a kinetic learner, so more reps and doing things is when I grow as a player.

"Obviously I was still in all the meetings when I was injured, and so that helped me a lot with the psychological aspect of the game, but I just got to get into the rhythm I had before I was hurt. I'm starting to get there now, and I feel great."

Bellomy said the quarterback competition remains a four-way heat and that he's "in there with the rest of them."

"(Gardner) and Shane played well last year, but that's last year," he said. "Competition's always healthy."